Emerging artists from the University of Calgary art department are poised to show off their work from year in the Art Open House on Thursday. The event features projects from all disciplines, including, but not limited to, painting, drawing, installations and video work.

Chris Mandseth is just one student showcasing his hard work from the year. He says his project is a seemingly unconventional approach to video work.

"I was in a painting class doing video work mostly, sort of working with interactive media," he explains. "I was trying to create participatory environments where I kind of set the stage for the audience and then they can make the art themselves."

This isn't the first time Mandseth's work has been exhibited this year. Last month, he and fellow art student Marbella Carlos had the opportunity to show their work at the New Gallery as part of a collaboration with the Alberta College of Art and Design. He says the experience was very beneficial to his artistic development.

"We got the chance to meet some people from ACAD and do a professional thing before we were done school," he says. "It's insidious. We'll probably continue making art because we've sort of been down that road now."

In addition to catching the art bug, Mandseth also credits the university's approach to art as an influence. That approach is likely evident in much of the work to be shown at the open house.

"I think the greatest thing is that we have a research focus at the university and we have professors that are undergoing current research, so they really teach us how to do that and ask questions in an artistic sense," he explains.